Malaysia's
flag is based on that of the United States, a country whose democratic
ideals the young nation sought to emulate upon gaining
independence from Great Britain in 1957. The 14 stripes
represent Malaysia's states, while the square in the
upper left contains the moon and sun of Islam.

Malaysia - Independence and Onward: 1957 - Present

With
1957's independence, a new series of difficult decisions
lay ahead of Malaya, the first of which was to determine
exactly what territories would be included in the new
state. In 1961, the term "Malaysia" came into
being after Tunku convinced Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak to
join Malaya in a federal union (Singapore later opted out of the union,
peacefully, in 1965). Afraid that the
union would interfere with his expansionistic plans,
Indonesia's president Sukharno launched attacks against
Malaysia in Borneo and on the peninsula, all of which
were unsuccessful.

Another immediate problem was the determination of a
national identity. Malaysia was a mix of people from many races and cultures, and
uniting them under a common flag was not an easy
enterprise. Because Malays represented the majority, the
constitution gave them permanent spots in the government,
made Islam the national religion, and made Malay the
national language; but the Chinese firmly dominated
business and trade, and most Malay were suffering
economic hardships. The government, controlled by the
United Malay National Organization, passed the New
Economic Policy, which attempted to increase economic
opportunity for the Malay by establishing various quotas
in their favor. Unsurprisingly, many Chinese opposed the
new arrangement and formed a significant opposition
party. In 1969, after the opposition party won a
significant seats, riots swepts through Kuala Lumpur and
the country was placed in a state of emergency for two years. It was
a painful moment in the young nation's history that most
Malaysians prefer to forget.

In the last two decades, Malaysia has undergone
tremendous growth and prosperity, and has arguably made
significant progress in race relations. Many attribute
the country's success to the dynamic leadership of Prime
Minister Mahathir bin Mohammed, who led the
country from 1981 through 2003.